The legendary writer, animator, and director may not be making films about nature for children anymore, but now he’s doing the next-best thing: making actual nature for children!
According to Japan’s Kyodo news service, Hayao Miyazaki’s first post-retirement will be a children’s facility on Kume Island, designed and built by Kume locals. The reserve will include 10,000 square meters of virgin forest and a two-story, 30-person capacity building. Miyazaki will fund the project himself with 300 million yen—about $2.5 million—of his own money.
Construction will begin in 2016, with the reserve set to open sometime in 2018. That’s about all we know for now, plus this artist’s rendering of what the site will look like, fantastical creatures and grass elegantly swaying in the wind excluded:
